Masculine & Feminine Bedside Tables: How to Style them Right

I recently reached out to you on social media to ask what some of your biggest home styling dilemmas were, and I’ve ended up with a really good list of things you need help with. In today’s post, I’m answering a question for TLC reader Allan Stephen, who needed some assistance with mens bedside table styling.

It’s fair to say that a lot of the bedside table styling we see in mags and media are quite female-skewed. I guess it makes sense considering that the key demographic for those magazines are women.

That said, not only do a large percentage of men want their bedside tables to look good, but if you’re sharing a bedroom with a guy then you want his side of the bed to look just as great as yours, right?

This post aims to address this common styling conundrum, so strap yourself in and enjoy the ride!

Masculine and Feminine Bedside Table Styling

Here’s how we’ll get you styling with masculinity in mind. That doesn’t mean we’re forgetting about the feminine; just showing you how to get a great balance of both in your bedroom. To do this, we’ll follow these steps:

1 – We’ll take a look at some visual inspiration and talk about balance

2 – I’ll walk you through some of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to masculine styling

3 – I’ll give you some examples of how your bedsides can match but each can feel masculine and feminine

Visual Inspiration + Achieving Balance

What you have to keep in mind when you look at your bedroom as a whole is that one side of the bed shouldn’t look soft and feminine, with the other side looking masculine and moody.

This would be a really easy and literal approach to decorating with two people in mind, but the room as a whole will feel off-kilter because the contrast between the bedside tables is so different. The magic in interior styling really happens when you merge two styles or vibes with great success.

The image above – via Metricon – is a great example of a bedside table where both masculine and feminine qualities are at play. The clock and marble-top table would be considered more feminine. There’s a a gloss and a sheen to them. To balance out the look, a plant, black book and black-and-white framed picture brings some depth and masculinity to the scene.

Now, while this is a great example of both the hard and the soft playing well together, we’re still not there in terms of giving each of you your own bedside style.

Do’s and Don’t in Masculine Styling

To achieve a masculine vibe on an area like a bedside table, you need to look to colour, texture and pattern to set the scene. The right combination of these design elements will help you achieve a more manly look here. Here are some ideas:

Colour: Look to black, brown, grey and navy to bring some masculinity to the bedside.

Texture: Bring in concrete, rusty metals, aged woods. The more rustic the better – and ban high gloss items.

Pattern: Strong patterns like geometrics are great, but do away with florals, polka dots, chevron etc.

When it coms to feminine bedside table styling (or in any room, for that matter), the glosser and shinier the item, the softer it is going to look. So for a female bedside table, rock high-gloss ceramics or shiny golds and brass homewares. Glass is also rather feminine, as are materials like marble.

Above: A great example of adding fem touches to a hard bedside, via www.curbly.com

Creating Individual Masculine and Feminine Looks

As I said earlier, you need the room as a whole to feel well-balanced, which is why it’s best to start with the same bedside table on each side of the bed. But on your individual side, you will have an opportunity to have your own sense of style showcased.

The size of your bedside table will determine just how many items you can fit on top of it without it feeling crowded, but I like to play with more than three and less than six. Usually a lamp and two supporting pieces at varying heights is enough.

One ‘piece’ could be a stack of books with a candle on top, and the second piece could a dish with some jewellery in it. So just bear in mind that it doesn’t have to be a lamp and two singular items beside it. Three visual moments on the bedside table should do the trick.

It’s wise to go with the same lamp on either side and find a style that doesn’t feel particular hard or soft. Below I’ll show you two examples of what I mean, with a masculine look on the left and a feminine look on the right.

Above and below: Masculine styling on the left, feminine styling on the right.

I hope this has given you some ideas and inspiration on how to merge masculine and feminine decorating when it comes to bedside tables. You can easily apply a lot of these rules to other pockets of your home, so get styling and enjoy the process!

Did you find these ideas useful? Drop a comment below and let me know how you bring the soft and hard elements in a space together!

Outside of writing the TLC Interiors blog, Chris is an interior stylist and author. You can also catch him on your TV screens as a designer on Channel 10's Changing Rooms. If you'd like to book a design consult with Chris, you can find out more here

Comments (5)

I like the examples. It is used the same lamp both for the feminine and masculine sides, just the additional items differ. That I call balance ans aesthetics. Chosen like that they are a great match with the upholstering in the bedroom. Thanks for giving us these tips 🙂